See Inside Rome.jpg

Title: See Inside Ancient Rome: An Usborne Flap Book

Author: Kate Daynes

Illustrator: David Handcock

Date: 2006

Tags: 7+, Picture Book, Ancient Civ, Setting: Ancient, Architecture, Roman; Interactive

This book is a great introduction to life in ancient Rome by way of its architecture. Each page shows a busy city scene, rather like the Where’s Waldo books. The scenes included are the Roman forum, a busy street, a port, a Roman bath complex, a Senator’s domus (townhouse), an army camp, and the Colosseum. Small captions give information about the people, places, and interactions in the image. Readers can see what’s going on inside buildings and under the floors by lifting numerous flaps on each page. The inside views aren’t quite as cool as the cover suggests, but they are still very fun. The drawings are accurate, and people from every class, senator to slave, are represented. This book is great for young readers interested in history, buildings, and even for reluctant readers. – Krishni Burns